Radioisotopes: Shortages

(asked on 4th March 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the radioisotope supply disruption in late 2024 on patients.


Answered by
Zubir Ahmed Portrait
Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 11th March 2026

The 2024 disruption was caused by the required closures of a number of reactors used to supply the United Kingdom and Europe. In response to this shortage, the Department worked closely with suppliers, the National Health Service, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, the UK Radiopharmacy Group, and the devolved administrations to ensure that the limited available supplies were shared equitably and that patients with the most critical needs were prioritised. A National Patient Safety Alert was issued providing guidance to radiopharmacy units on how to manage affected patients.

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